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The New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA) hosted its 2nd Annual Summer Spotlight at its state of the art facilities in Los Angeles. The Summer Spotlight is designed to build cross-educational platforms between NYFA and other schools nationwide for students who have an interest in learning in a world class, hands on environment.

Counselors pose for a photo outside of the New York Film Academy LA campus.

Over the course of the two-day event, NYFA representatives provided tours of the campus including the Universal Studios backlot, educated counselors about NYFA degree programs, and spoke with current students, and alumni. The event showcased a special screening of the student film The Moment I Was Alone (2016), directed and produced by NYFA students Kellen Gibbs and Rochel Goldsmith, which has won several awards on the film festival circuit. A student panel followed the screening where NYFA students shared their experiences at New York Film Academy. Panelists included two veterans, Adam Teitelbaum (MFA Screenwriting student) and Michael Teitelbaum (MFA Screenwriting student) who said, “Being invited to share my experience as a veteran student at NYFA was a major privilege and I was thrilled to see so many great people and administrators who were excited to learn about NYFA’s academic programs.”

More than 30 high school counselors from various states and regions attended the event. Included in the attendee list was Edith Disler, who serves as the Director of External Relations for the Texas Veterans Commission. The New York Film Academy has an extensive history in supporting the military and veteran communities. Edith was invited to talk with NYFA veteran students about their experience at the College and their experience transitioning from military to higher education.

NYFA Australia acting students attending the Groundlings Comedy Improv show

On Monday the 8th of June, four students from the New York Film Academy’s Gold Coast location, three students from NYFA Sydney, and acting instructor Hunter McMahon departed Australia and headed to the New York Film Academy campus in Los Angeles, California. The acting students participated in an intensive three week program which encompassed classes such as; Meisner technique, Voice and Movement, Combat, Comedy, Psychology of Performance, Audition technique and Production Workshops, which were shot on the backlot of Universal Studios.

The students’ first week of training began on Tuesday the 9th of June with three classes a day, plus plenty of work to keep them busy outside of school hours. The first shoot on the Universal backlot took place on the “Western Set,” with scenes authored by the students. “It was a unique experience, and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” said NYFA Sydney Acting Instructor, Hunter McMahon.

On Saturday afternoon, the acting students attended the Los Angeles Film Festival for a screening of Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield Story. “It was one of the most powerful documentaries I have ever seen. When the lights came up we were all visibly moved and glad that we had shared the experience together,” said McMahon.

On Sunday the group took some time out with a large portion of the day spent lounging at the pool of the Oakwood Apartments and enjoying the famous Los Angeles sun—after all, it is currently wintertime back in Australia.

During the second week, the intensity of the program increased as the teachers began to demand more of the students, and as we’re accustomed to at NYFA, the students picked up the challenge.

Friday night saw the students shuttled from NYFA to attend The Groundlings Theatre Show. “The show was hilarious, the students had a ball, and some were even lucky enough to meet the performers afterwards and have their picture taken with them,” recalled McMahon.

Over the course of the rest of the weekend, the students spent time shopping, and exploring Disneyland. Any spare time leftover, students worked on the course material for the final week.

The last week was spent filming the scenes, monologues and learning as much as possible about the industry in Los Angeles. During the week, students were shuttled to The Matrix theatre to watch The Australian Theatre Company’s rehearsed play reading of Ruben Guthrie. “The show was fantastic and a great networking opportunity… the play has been recently been adapted into a feature film, which opened the Sydney Film Festival this year,” said McMahon.

On the Friday night of their final week, the students’ work was showcased in the screening room of NYFA LA’s Riverside Building. “It was a fitting end to the three-week course and we were overawed by the experience,” said McMahon.

Monday the 29th of June marked the conclusion of the three-week excursion.

“From this experience, my Australian acting students have grown remarkably, and will certainly cherish these memories dearly. The teachers we’ve had have been fantastic, experienced and very knowledgeable. We have made industry connections that will benefit both parties in the years to come. I’m grateful that I have been able to share this experience with the students, and the NYFA staff in LA. I have learned so much in my time here, and I can’t wait to share it all upon my return to Sydney. This journey has been invaluable, and I would like to share my gratitude and warm thanks to the New York Film Academy, its teachers and the students who journeyed with me to Los Angeles,” concluded McMahon.

As for the students who took part in this incredible three-week Los Angeles trip, this is what they had to say:

“I have been deeply touched by the passion, dedication and immense desire every teacher has had to share their experience and, install in our hearts, deep respect for our craft and the industry. I am now more committed to the ingenuity, creativity, skill and professionalism that has gone before me.”

Sharde Anne (Gold Coast Graduate)

NYFA Australian actors attend the Australian Theatre Company’s Evening of “Stage to Screen” at the Matrix Theatre in Hollywood

“This has been an incredible experience. I’m so grateful I was given this opportunity to explore the LA industry that I one day intend to be a part of. We were taken to The Groundlings, which was phenomenal and hilarious. We were also taken to see the Australian Theatre Company’s reading of ‘Ruben Guthrie’ at the Matrix theatre. We filmed on the Universal backlot twice. I have learned and grown so much in the past three weeks. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it!”

Tiahni Wilton (Gold Coast Graduate)

“The wisdom and experience of the industry that was shared with us from the lecturers at NYFA was invaluable; and now I’m going home to Australia more confident with my craft. Thank you to all the lecturers from NYFA across Australia and LA. You all inspire me daily.”

Krystal Shuttleworth (Gold Coast Graduate)

“I look forward to the future in acting. I feel my passion gets stronger as I keep learning. It’s been an amazing experience!”

Tareesha Argus (Gold Coast Graduate)

“Coming to Los Angeles has been a fantastic and an uplifting experience for me. I’m eternally grateful for all that I have learned at my time at NYFA.”

Abel Kollie (Sydney Graduate)

“We have had incredible classes and teachers, who are all so passionate about the craft. I’ve learned so much about acting and the exciting business over here. The classes have been intense, and definitely worthwhile. Experiencing the American audition process and running it with a real agent was an invaluable experience. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone.”

Kiara Williams (Sydney Graduate)

“The experience and knowledge I’ve gained from doing this program is without a doubt the best decision and opportunity that was given to me by NYFA. I’ve learned so much more than I could have imagined about the LA market, auditioning and character work in the past 3 weeks. Though the days were long, I wouldn’t change any of it. The teachers were fantastic; they were so knowledgeable and passionate about the industry. I am eternally grateful to NYFA Sydney for this experience and can’t wait to start my career.”

Ismael Nunez Moreno (Sydney Graduate)

NYFA Australian actors attend the Australian Theatre Company’s Evening of “Stage to Screen” at the Matrix Theatre in Hollywood

New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus is situated on the back lot of Universal Studios Hollywood. Our neighbors have some big news, as they just announced that they are making an exciting addition to their studio tour attractions.

Tram riders on the tour will soon be able to experience a high-speed car chase with the stars of the Fast and Furious series.

This is a welcome (and exciting) update that will see the hit film franchise join the ranks of films such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, and King Kong on the tour.

Dubbed “Fast and Furious – Supercharged,” the attraction is slated to open in July.

While visitors are still a few months away from being able to experience this, Universal Studios has released a trailer showing some behind-the-scenes action from making of the attraction. You can see the trailer below:

Whether you studied at the original campus in Union Square, SoHo, the new Battery Park building, Universal Studios, or one of the many locations around the world, if you attended New York Film Academy, you’ve probably developed some of these traits.

You tell your friend to move slightly to the left or right while conversing with them.

You’ve had your hands on the Canon 5D and the RED.

You immediately know where someone is from based on his or her accent.

Even if you hate acting, you’ve acted in at least a scene or two.

You’ve discovered Hershey’s syrup can be used to film a bloody scene.

You paint your living room wall blue or green so you’re able to film a ‘green screen‘ scene in your home.

At the theater, you are too busy looking for mistakes instead of enjoying the movie.

All of your school friends are actors, performers or filmmakers scattered all over the world.

You’ve shot a scene using the fog machine.

You check to make sure you “hit your mark” at random places like the grocery check out, ATM or even McDonald’s.

You have a complete NYFA apparel collection for all seasons: T-shirts, hoodie, track jacket…even a NYFA messenger bag to carry them in.

The New York Film Academy offers summer camps for high school students and tweens at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. In one to six weeks, students have the opportunity to make films, learn to act, learn photography, write feature length screenplays, record investigative journalism pieces, and create their own animations under the umbrella of knowledgeable faculty who have worked in the industry for years.

Campers go to the theme parks and have had major Hollywood guest speakers, including Ron Howard, Doug Liman, and Steven Spielberg. Students also visit the Hollywood Bowl, attend tapings of TV shows, movie premieres, and much more!

Summer will be here before you know it! If you’re interested in next summer’s camps, give us a call at 1 (212) 674-4300.

You’ve seen him or her portrayed in the movies as often suave, well-groomed individuals and perhaps you have concocted your own idea of what a producer’s role is on a movie. But, what does a producer actually do? New York Film Academy’s Producing for TV & Film Program aims to break down exactly what it takes to produce a film or television series in today’s market. The program is geared toward students with little to no experience, as often is the case with up and coming producers. After all, you need to start somewhere. It is those students who are eager to control their own destiny in the world of film and television who will flourish in NYFA’s hands-on intensive Producing Program.

From day one, students are treated as producers and this will last throughout the duration of the course. Students are encouraged to bring a piece of intellectual property, or original material, into the course to develop as their thesis project. Like the real world, the process is broken down into the various stages of production: pitch, treatment, script, talent search, budgeting, scheduling, and plans for marketing and distribution.

In the past, NYFA has welcomed a number of well known producers to speak with students, providing valuable insight and the motivation needed to break into this exclusive industry. Past speakers have included: Steven Spielberg, Gary Marshall, Ron Howard, Al Ruddy, and many more.

New York Film Academy degree programs are offered at our Los Angeles Campus in Universal Studios. Qualified students have the option of completing course work at NYFA New York City in a one-year non-degree program and requesting that their work be accepted for advanced standing and start in the second year of the degree program in Los Angeles.

If you’d like to request information about New York Film Academy’s Producing Program, CLICK HERE.

Hannah Quinlivan recently finished a 8-Week Acting for Film Workshop at New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus. The Taiwanese-Australian actress first gained attention in Taiwan when she joined a successful girl group in 2008. Since then she has worked as a model, acted on a television drama, and has been a host on MTV and game shows. She recently landed her first major role in a feature film, and came to New York Film Academy to brush up on her acting skills.

“I’ve had a really good time here. I really jumped out of my safe zone,” she says. “That was a really big step for me. And I really enjoyed my time shooting on the Universal Studios backlot. I used to really enjoy the Universal tour, and now I got the chance to shoot there!” Hannah says she loved the short-term program and looks forward to returning to New York Film Academy soon.

During a recent guest speaker event at New York Film Academy, Gallagher shared his recently-released horror film, Smiley, which was released in theaters nationwide. He described how his experience with internet shorts helped prepare him for his first feature length film. “Most of the sketches I shoot are like little scenes,” he said. “It was like 110 sketches in a row.” Working with a tight budget, the indie film was shot in just 15 days, and the filmmakers were shooting as many as 8 pages of the script per day. But as Gallagher puts it, “Horror movies fit the low budget. You can do a lot more with a little.”

Gallagher cast friends and actors with large YouTube followings to help build buzz around the film. To date, the trailer has racked up over 21 million views on YouTube. At just 23 years old, his first feature length film was about to be released in AMC theaters across the nation. Things were going well until users of the website 4Chan got wind of the film’s plot.

Gallagher said he was going for authenticity when he decided to make 4Chan users the villains of his film. In an interview with Huffington Post, he said, “I anticipated a minor backlash of people leaving harassing comments online.” But he didn’t anticipate the website’s users posting his home address, his personal information, and leaving dozens of death threats on his cell.

After interviews with the TODAY Show, Inside Edition, Variety, Paste (and the FBI), 4Chan users realized they were only giving him free publicity. Just as the movie was released in theaters nationwide, the threats disappeared.

Much to 4Chan’s chagrin, we’re happy to report the Smiley DVD is now available for pre-order.

Congratulations to New York Film Academy graduate Alexis Morante for his Latin Grammy nomination! Since his graduation in 2010, he has worked on a dozen music videos, racking up over 10 million views on Youtube. His most recent video, Licenciado Cantinas, is a 25-minute film with Spanish rock star Enrique Bunbury. It played in movie theaters and on television in 10 countries, and was nominated for Best Music Video – Long Format last week. “I’m very proud of the whole team, made up of several friends and fellows from NYFA,” says Alexis. “I hope this nomination, along with hard work and perseverance, will help me to develop a better career as filmmaker, especially in the American industry.”

Alexis is no stranger to success. His first-year thesis film, Voltereta, was an official selection at over 70 festivals worldwide, winning over 20 awards. Alexis’ second-year thesis film, Matador on the Road, has played over 50 festivals, winning over 10 awards.

But he wasn’t always so sure about a career in the film industry. Alexis was in law school in his native Spain when he decided to make his first short film. Soon after, he decided to pursue a degree in Communications. Then he travelled to Cuba and Sweden for short-term filmmaking courses. He chose New York Film Academy to earn his MFA in Filmmaking, doing his first year at the school’s New York campus, and the second year at the Universal Studios campus. “None of this would be possible without NYFA and the students here,” he says. “I’m still working with the students on a professional level.”

Though he is thrilled to have success working on music videos in Spain, Alexis hopes to expand to more work in the U.S. “I see myself concentrating on movies, doing advertising and music videos in between. I also love documentary and travel documentary.” He is currently developing a feature length script, and will be ready to take it to market soon.

Gabriela Egito is a New York Film Academy alumna living in Los Angeles, with a Masters in Film from Brazil. She has three short films running the festival circuit worldwide, with two winning prizes, all produced during NYFA’s film making program in 2011. In addition to doing Brazilian outreach at NYFA, she writes a blog called Brazilian Girl in L.A. about her cinematic adventures in the U.S.

According to a study by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women make up 24% of all directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on domestically-produced feature-length films appearing at top U.S. film festivals. Does that sound low? In fact, it is substantially higher than the 16% of women who worked on the 250 highest-grossing films last year. But to the south in Brazil, the reality is quite different. Despite lacking official statistics on gender issues, judging by the films selected for the Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival, held early this month at the Egyptian Theater, women are rockin’ behind-the-scenes in Brazil.

Of the 22 films screened at HBRfest, 17 have women in one or more key-positions. The feature-length winner, Swirl (Girimunho), was directed by film making partners Clarissa Campolina and Helvécio Marins Jr. Interestingly enough, three other films in competition were also directed by couples – men and women sharing the command on set. Director Clarissa Campolina doesn’t see these partnerships as unusual, saying, “We are all friends. Some of us attended film school together. We don’t think much of gender –we are all filmmakers.”